Clip board



nite

This invention relates generally to clip boards or" the type which are normally used to carry about and temporarily hold papers to be written upon or the like and which embody a clamp member held under spring tension against a board to secure the papers therebetween. The invention more particularly concerns improvemen in the spring means acting between the clamp member and board.

In certain instances it is desirable that a clip board be adapted to independently and separately secure two different papers or sets of papers whereby one might be inserted or removed without disturbance of the other. Such a board might for convenience be referred to as a double clip board. An example is a small clip board attached to a pushcart in a grocery store or the like where it might be desirable for the store to mount advertisements or various announcements under one clip means on the board leaving a second clip means free for use by the shopper to attach his or her shopping list to the board.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel clip board with a single clamp means adapted to independently secure two separate paper sheets or sets of sheets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clip board having a spring tensioned clamp with a double clamping means adapted to be successively released by movement of the clamp in a releasing direction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clip board having a clamp member held in clamping relation against the board by a singular spring member and wherein the spring member is also held by its own tension in releasable clamping engagement against the board.

With these objects in mind the invention broadly comprises a flat board member of rigid material, and a clip member secured at one end thereof by a generally U- shaped spring which yieldably holds the clip member under tension against the board to form a first clamping means and with one leg of the spring forming a secondary clamping means against the board, whereby said clamp means are successively and independently released as the legs of the spring are moved in a contracting dire ction.

The above mentioned and additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the clip board with two paper independently held under the clamp means.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the board mounted on a tubular member.

PEG. 3 is a fragmentar side elevation with the clamp means partially depressed for release of the top paper while still securely holding the bottom paper.

PEG. is similar to PEG. 3 but shows means in full releasing position.

FIG. 5 is a section through the clamp means taken along line 55 of HG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing reference numerals will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. The number it) designates a rectangular backing board of rigid material, preferably a heavy sheet metal. A clamp ring 1 is secured as by spot welding to the central portion of the back or bottom side of board It). The ring has spaced cars 12 which are apertured to jointly receive a screw the clamping States atent O Fatented Jan. 21,

and nut assembly 14 for mounting the board on a tubular member 15 such as a grocery cart handle.

The clamp means designated generally at in is mounted at one end of the board it and comprises a clamp or clip member 17 and spring member 13. The clip member 17 is preferably rectangulm having a width considerably greater than its length and preferably equal to the Width of the board ill.

The spring is a plate spring bent in a generally tapered U-shape with one end edge 19 secured under a bent over and flattened edge portion 2% of the clip 1". The opposing end edge 21 of the spring is secured under a bent over and flattened edge portion 22 of the board ill.

The cross sectional configuration of the spring 18 longitudinally of the board and particularly the leg thereof carrying the end edge portion 28 connected to the board is of great importance. The normal configuration is best shown in Fig. 2. The outer leg, denoted at 24, the end edge of which is firmly held under clip portion 29, is straight extending flush along the underside of the clip member for the major portion of its length. This leg 2d then blends into the opposing leg, denoted generally at 25, through a U-shaped curve 26. Leg 25 extends dush along the board id for a short distance from its end edge portion 21 and then curls away from and back toward the board as at 2'7 to blend into the curve 26. Accordingly the point 23 on the curved portion 25 forms a transverse line of contact across the spring which is yieldably urged toward the board ill.

The clip 17 is sufhciently longer than the spring 18 to bear against the board and hold the spring 18 in a contracted condition, it being understood that the spring legs form a greater relative angle when'the spring is in its untensioned condition prior to mounting between the elements in and 7. The lower edge of clip member I? accordingly is yieldably held against the board to form one line of clamping engagement. Similarly the leg 25 is preformed with a slightly greater angle of divergence than shown between leg 24 and leg portion 21 so that contact point 23 is held under tension against the board when the spring portion 21 is clamped under flange 22.

The spring 18 is accordingly locked between the members l7 and it under tension in two directions. Legs 24 and 2.5 tend to spread to yieldably hold clip 17' against the board while leg 25 tends to bend to yieldably hold point 23 against the board.

in H63. 1 and 2 sheet A is held under the clip 17, while sheet B is held under the spring line of contact provided at 23.

The clip board is operated in conventional manner by compressing the upper edge or" the clip member toward the board as shown in FIG. 3. It will be noted, however, that the two clamp means are successively released. With the initial compressing movement the spring U-bend 26 will yield opening the line of contact between the member 17 and for insertion or removal of sheet A. With continued manual squeezing or compression (FlG. 4) the built-up tension in the U-bend as will exceed that in leg 25 and the leg will yield opening the line of contact between the spring and board at 28 for insertion or removal of sheet B.

As the contracting pressure is released clamping contact with the board will first be made by spring portion 28 and then by the member 17.

It will thus be seen that the two sheets A and B are independently engaged, held and released by the clamping means denoted generally at 16. Sheet A can be independently inserted cr removed from the board without disturbing the firm grip of the clamp means on sheet B. When such a device is mounted on a grocery cart, for example, the proprietor might use sheet B for advertising purposes and the shopper may insert his or her shopping list under the clip member 17 and remove it therefrom without disturbing or removing the sheet B designed for presentation to all shoppers.

The clam-p means construction is durable, simple to operate and economical to manufacture. The invention accordingly economically and effectively carries out the aforementioned objectives.

it is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A means for securing a clip to one end portion of a clip board which comprises a singular generally U- shaped plate spring having a central bight portion and opposin fiat leg portions diverging from the bigbt portion so as to be relatively disposed at an acute angle to each other, the distal edge of one leg being secured under a folded over end edge portion f the board, and the distel edge of the other leg being secured under a folded over end edge portion of the clip opposing said end edge portion or" the board, said spring other leg being substantially shorter longitudinally of the board than the clip whereby the unconnected edge of the clip will be held by the spring fir-nly against the board with the spring under spreading tension and with said one leg portion adjacent the bight portion in yieldable contact with the board, said one leg being donned to extend away from the board intermediate the contact portion and distal edge thereof whereby as said opposing clip and board portion are 4 closed toward each other against said spring tension said contact portion will serve as a fulcrum to move the clamping ed e of the clip away from the board and with continued closing movement the intermediate portion of said one leg will yield to allow movement of the contact portion away from the board.

2. A clip board including an elongated board member and a clip member disposed above and transversely of the board and held in yieldable transverse clamping engagemerit therewith by a generally U-shaped spring having vertical-1y spaced legs respectively connected to the clip and board and diverging toward one end of the board, said spring being held under compression between the clip and board and being configured longitudinally of the board to have its upper leg extending from the U-bend flush along the underside of the clip and its lower leg extending from the Ubend against the board, then curving away from and back to the board for connection therewith whereby the clip member and lower leg form two independent yieldable clarnp means against the board References Eitcd in the file of this patent Ur lTED STATES PATENTS 1,557,939 Dcmbrowsky Oct. 20, 1925 2,102,218 'Rakauskas Dec. 14, 1937 2,523,590 Potter et al Sept. 26, 1950 POREXGN PATENTS 2,96 Great Britain 1878 19,567 Great Britain 1894 

1. A MEANS FOR SECURING A CLIP TO ONE END PORTION OF A CLIP BOARD WHICH COMPRISES A SINGULAR GENERALLY USHAPED PLATE SPRING HAVING A CENTRAL BIGHT PORTION AND OPPOSING FLAT LEG PORTIONS DIVERGING FROM THE BIGHT PORTION SO AS TO BE RELATIVELY DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO EACH OTHER, THE DISTAL EDGE OF ONE LEG BEING SECURED UNDER A FOLDED OVER END EDGE PORTION OF THE BOARD, AND THE DISTAL EDGE OF THE OTHER LEG BEING SECURED UNDER A FOLDED OVER END EDGE PORTION OF THE CLIP OPPOSING SAID END EDGE PORTION OF THE BOARD, SAID SPRING OTHER LEG BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BOARD THAN THE CLIP WHEREBY THE UNCONNECTED EDGE OF THE CLIP WILL BE HELD BY THE SPRING FIRMLY AGAINST THE BOARD WITH THE SPRING UNDER SPREADING TENSION AND WITH SAID ONE LEG PORTION ADJACENT THE BIGHT PORTION IN YIELDABLE CONTACT WITH THE BOARD, SAID ONE LEG BEING FORMED TO EXTEND AWAY FROM THE BOARD INTERMEDIATE THE CONTACT PORTION AND DISTAL EDGE THEREOF WHEREBY AS SAID OPPOSING CLIP AND BOARD PORTION ARE CLOSED TOWARD EACH OTHER AGAINST SAID SPRING TENSION SAID CONTACT PORTION WILL SERVE AS A FULCRUM TO MOVE THE CLAMPING EDGE OF THE CLIP AWAY FROM THE BOARD AND WITH CONTINUED CLOSING MOVEMENT THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID ONE LEG WILL YIELD TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF THE CONTACT PORTION AWAY FROM THE BOARD. 